The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a tension adjustment knob with discrete settings for use in welding wire feeders.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become ubiquitous in various industries and applications. While such processes may be automated in certain contexts, a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. Such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at a desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to ensure a proper wire feed reaches a welding torch.
Such wire feeders facilitate the feeding of welding wire from a wire spool, through a pair of drive wheels, to the welding torch at a desired wire feed rate. A mechanism such as a tensioner may be used to lower one drive wheel toward the other, applying a compressive force to the wire between the drive wheels. Such tensioners typically allow an operator to continuously manually adjust the compressive force applied to the welding wire based on the type of wire used or the desired wire feed speed. However, such continuous tensioner adjustment may permit the operator to adjust the tensioner to apply a compressive force that is higher or lower than the desired compressive force for the specific welding application.